Folding-table.



- F. W. ANDERSON.

FOLDING TABLE.

1 APPLICATION FILED DEG.10,1908.

Patented Nov. 16

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FORTESQUE W. ANDERSON, OFMIDDLETOVVN, NEW YORK.

FOLDING TABLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

Application filed December 10, 1908. Serial No. 466,759.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, FoRTns Un W. ANDER- son, a citizen of the United States, residing i liliddletown, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Folding Tables, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to tables adapted to be collapsed or folded when not required for use, and the object of the invention is to provide a light, strong, economically constructed table capable of folding into small compass and of neat and attractive appearance both in the folded condition and when distended for service.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement by which the above objects are attained, to be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification and show an approved form of the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the table opened for use. Fig. 2 is a similar view at a rightangle to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a face view showing the table in the folded condition. Fig. l is a corresponding edge view. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the table top, on a larger scale, showing the upper portions of the legs and adjacent parts in elevation. Fig. 6 is an elevation on a still larger scale showing the hinge-joint by which the two pairs of legs are connected. 1 Fig. 7 is a corresponding plan view partly in horizontal section. Fig. 8 1s a transverse vertical section of the same, on the line 88 in Fig. 7. vation showing the lower end of one of the legs with the foot thereon. Fig. 10 is a section corresponding to Fig. 5, showing a means for separably engaging the upper ends of one pair of legs with the table top.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures where they occur.

A is the table top shown as rectangular with rounded corners, but which may be understood to be of any desired shape, and B and C indicate two pairs of crossed legs by which the top is supported.

vided with a spherical foot D having a shank D driven into the open lower end of Fig. 9 is a section partly in ele- The legs are I tubes of metal bent as shown and each prol the tube. The legs are straight in the midlength at the crossing point and are joined by a long rivet E passing through all four and serving as a hinge or center on which i the legs turn; when in the open condition the outer legs B cross the inner legs C as in Fig. 1, and when collapsed as in Fig. l, both pairs lie in the same plane.

At the upper ends of the legs B are housings A A fixed to the under face of the table top near one edge or side in which the legs B are pivoted, and the inner legs C are joined at their upper ends by a rod G extending from one to the other and passing through or otherwise attached to a slide F mounted in rabbeted ways A extending along the under face of the top transversely to the hinge-joint E.

The parts are so proportioned that the distance from the axis of the oint E to the fixed pivots a a in the housings A is the same as thatfrom the joint to the rod C and the pivot-s a a and rod C are both equidistant from the under face of the table top. Thus arranged the slide F may be drawn along the ways A until its rod C coincides with the axial line of the pivots a a, in which condition the legs are in the same plane, and the top A, by turning on the rod C and pivots a a as a single center, folds down against and parallel with the plane of the legs. By raising the table top and moving the slide F along the ways in the reverse direction the legs are again crossed and the table distended. To facilitate the manipulation of the slide F a hook or handle F is attached thereto conveniently presented to be grasped by the hand.

In order to hold the parts separably locked in the distended condition, seats Gr having inclined or tapered outer faces and having slight recesses g in their under faces are secured at proper points on the under face of the top to receive the rounded ends of plugs C C inserted in the upper ends of the inner legs G C, which are forced into the recesses in the act of opening the table; the spring or elasticity of the rod C permitting such engagement. The curved forward ends of the seats act as sort of cams so that the action is gradual and all liability of breakage is avoided.

At one end of the ways A is a stop A against which the slide F abuts when the table is folded, insuring that the slide comes to rest with the rod 0 and pivots a a in alinement.

It will be noted that all of the legs are duplicates so that only one form of leg is required, and may be easily and economically shaped and drilled by suitable machinery designed for the purpose.

At the joint in the mid-length of the legs the latter are held apart by a series of cylindrical bearing-blocks H, I I I I, and J J drilled axially to receive the long rivet E and having on their faces semicircular grooves each partially encircling one of the legs. The blocks I I I I are alike and may be cast from a single pattern, they are arranged back to back in pairs between the adjacent legs 13 C as shown, and the end blocks J J are similar to each other and applied outside the legs B B, and the inner legs G C are held apart by the center block H. The latter and the inner two blocks I I turn with the inner legs C C, and the outer blocks I I and end blocks J J turn with the outer legs B B.

The frictional engagement of the plugs C G with the cavities g in the seats G is sufficient to hold the table in the open con dition until forcibly released, and the curved forward ends of the seats facilitate the engagement.

In a folding table of the character set forth, a top having upon one side of its center seats with cam-like forward ends and rounded recesses, two pairs of crossed legs, pivotally united at their centers, means connecting the upper ends of the inner legs, housings attached to the under side of the top near one edge to which the upper ends of the outer legs are pivoted, ways upon the under side of the top at right angles to the pivots of the legs, a slide attached to said rod and working in said Ways, the construction being such that when the slide is drawn along the ways the legs are brought into the same plane, the said rod and the pivots of the upper leg being in axial alinement, and means on the upper ends of the inner legs adapted to spring into said seats for automatically locking the parts with the top in r its horizontal position, said means being rounded and frictionally engaged in the recesses of said seats.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

FORT'ESQUE WV. ANDERSON. lVitnesses CI-ms. A. KETQHAM,

ALFRED I-I. STILL. 

